Alumni Update: Andre Jin Coquillard

by Paul Rader

A few years ago I was walking by the field and I saw someone doing an intense workout in the corner of the field.  The person looked unlike anyone that I normally see on our campus.  He looked like a professional athlete!  Intrigued, I approached the person to ask who they were and what they were doing on the field.  When I arrived I saw a familiar face although the last time I had seen him he was about half the size!

As we re-introduced ourselves to each other I learned about Andre's journey after his time at SFS and what had brought him back to Seoul almost 15 years later. At that time he was just re-starting his rugby career and was starting to train with the Korean national team. 

Fast forward a few years to now and Andre and his teammates are battling through intensive training preparations for the Olympics with the goal of being the most energetic and competitive team in the tournament.  With this opportunity and national pride comes a once in a lifetime chance to promote the sport on the world stage and to the Korean public.

Andre has also been very gracious with his time to the school.  He helped respond to my questions below, and also did a longer form interview with Mr. Eric De Haan our Director of Alumni Relations.  Alumni that want to watch can go to the SFS Global Connect for the recording.

Even though Andre only went to SFS for two years, we always say "Once a Crusader, Always a Crusader", and we wish him the very best as he competes at the Olympics next summer!

What years did you attend SFS?
5^th and 6^th grade – Years 2001-2003

What sports did you play while at SFS?
Primarily soccer and basketball, however I really enjoyed handball for the short period it was taught during PE. Loved that I was exposed to different types of sports and I think I started to really fall in love with sport in general at SFS. It was always a dream of mine to make the high school varsity soccer and basketball teams.

Quick overview of your journey after SFS towards playing rugby?
After SFS I attend Shanghai American school as my father moved around a lot for work. I was exposed to rugby for the first time at SAS. However, it was only touch rugby and for a short amount of time during middle school. One of those afterschool programs in middle school, much like SFS, where you focus on a sport for 4/5 weeks that concludes with a city-wide foreign school tournament.
Where I fell in love with rugby and started to take it seriously was at Brentwood College School on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It was a very British style boarding school where the two main sports were rowing and rugby. Coming from a ball sport background (soccer & basketball) I decided to take up rugby. I fell in love with the sport 5 minutes into my very first practice. Making the Varsity team at Brentwood provided me the opportunity to represent the United States u17 Junior National Team, which then led me to be scouted by the University of California Berkeley. At Cal I was fortunate to be a part of squads that won 4 National Titles. 2 in 15s rugby and 2 in 7s rugby, the Olympic form of the game.

When did you get scouted by the Korean national team, how did that opportunity come about?
After missing selection to the Senior United States Men's National Rugby Team I decided to give up rugby and pursue sports marketing in Shanghai. However, in the spring of 2015 I played in a club rugby tournament in Hong Kong where I was able to meet some of the Korea Rugby coaching staff. We exchanged emails and a few weeks later I was invited for a trial by the national team. I guess the rest is history, as after that trial I quit my job in Shanghai and took up rugby full time. It was certainly a daunting decision, a quarter life crises if you will, however my parents were very supportive and convinced me to give rugby another shot. My dad played football at Dartmouth and I remember him telling me "You'll work everyday for the rest of your life, might as well enjoy running around while your body still can." Maybe I'm living out his athlete dream.

What are you doing in preparation for the olympics?
Our preparations definitely were hampered by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, as the lowest ranked team that has qualified for the Olympics perhaps the postponement has been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed us to better prepare mentally and physically for the biggest tournament not only in our lives but also in Korean Rugby history. At the time of writing this, I am in the middle of week 4 of a grueling 5-week training camp at the Korea National Training Center. We are 5 months out from the Olympics and for rugby to have a chance of becoming popular in Korea we must represent our sport and ourselves well in Tokyo. We are very aware of the responsibility and pressure, but we are relishing in it. Individually, I just turned 30 and age doesn't lie. I've been suffering from a chronic knee injury for the past few seasons, so for me it's just about getting into the rehab center for 4 hours a day on top of practice and weight training to ensure I am healthy and can contribute to the team in time for the Olympics.  

What are your hopes for rugby in Korea in the future?
The potential for Rugby in Korea is enormous. Rugby is truly a game for all shapes, sizes and athletic ability. While, we might be smaller in stature compared to our international opponents, we have some very agile and quick players. For us it is about creating a national identity, a national style of play that works and benefits us. What we lack in comparison compared to countries where rugby is popular and well-funded, is off-field structure and high performance coaching. Honestly, we are slightly disadvantaged that rugby is inherently an English speaking game. It is hard for our union members and coaching staff to keep up to date as they don't speak English.

However, I believe the future is bright for Korea Rugby. Recently, Korea Rugby elected a new president who is a former player and has promised the needed financial investment. With his commitment off the field and our improving performances on the field, we hope to capture the nation's attention. It will start with the Olympics this year, then a shot at the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou next summer, and then we will aim to qualify for the 7s World Cup in South Africa. If we can continue to qualify and perform at major tournaments hopefully we will be able to popularize rugby in Korea.

Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
Great question. If you asked me that 10 years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of potentially being able to represent Korea at the Olympic Games. So who knows what new opportunities will arise over the next 10 years? However, I am passionate about sport and believe in the positive power that sport can yield. I truly think sport can be a positive tool in so many ways in broader aspects of society, thus in 10 years times I would love to still be involved with sport in some capacity. Many of my teammates have suggested I go into coaching or sports administration and these are options that I am now exploring.

Any advice for SFS student athletes?
Make the most of your passionate faculty and incredible facilities! I didn't know it when I was a student at SFS, as I took it for granted, but the facilities are world-class. If you have a dream of being a Division 1 athlete or even a national team athlete the tools are there for you to use. All you need to do is focus, prioritize and apply yourself! It sounds a bit cliché but there is no substitute for hard-work and passion. I was never the strongest, fastest or most athletic but I certainly had big dreams and a relentless work ethic. That desire to succeed drove me away from video games or nights out with friends and instead led me to an extra weights session or skills session on the field. Also, treat your sport like you would any academic subject. Study your sport, watch how the pros perform, what they eat, how they train, and how they spend their down-time. These days all of this is accessible on YouTube and Instagram, there are no secrets to athletic success anymore. Finally, when you are watching the NBA, EPL, Wimbledon or your particular sport, don't watch it as a fan, but as a fellow athlete!